1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the sale of personal care products. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for selling a skin care product that uses computer processing means to demonstrate immediately the prospective benefit of the product to the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer imaging software and systems have been used by some Federal and state law enforcement agencies to artificially age individuals. For those law enforcement agencies, the computer imaging technology is conventionally used in cases to age either a suspect or a victim when a current photograph of that person is not available. Computer aging has been found particularly useful in cases involving missing children. A child""s face changes dramatically during his or her rapid growth and development from childhood to early adulthood. Thus, it is necessary to age the child, especially if a year or so has passed since the time the child has become missing.
Computer imaging programs have also been used to allow a person to undergo a xe2x80x9cvirtual makeoverxe2x80x9d. Typically, a virtual makeover involves xe2x80x9capplyingxe2x80x9d virtual makeup to an image of the person or to a composite image created and displayed by the imaging program. In essence, a mask of various types and colors of makeup is superimposed onto an image of the person""s face.
Plastic surgeons have also used computer imaging. Basically, the surgeons attempt to show a patient how his or her face might be altered as a result of plastic surgery.
It is important to emphasize, however, that prior art virtual make-overs did not alter or modify the physical or biological (i.e., dermatological) characteristics of a person""s face.
The passage of time will bring about changes to an individual""s face. Such changes are due, for example, to facial aging. Facial aging often manifests itself in a loss of elasticity and a sagging of the facial skin, as well as an increase in the number and severity of facial lines and wrinkles.
It is also well known that sun exposure is one of the most damaging influences on the skin. Despite this well-known fact and the deep-rooted dislike an individual has for wrinkled skin, most people nonetheless engage in skin damaging pursuits, such as tanning. Even casual daily UV exposure can result in substantial cumulative photodamage. Yet a great many people also forego using currently available products, such as sunscreens, that can block or minimize the damaging effects of the sun. Smoking and having little or no skin care regimen can also hasten the decline of the aesthetic appearance of skin, especially on the face.
A major factor for neglecting skin care maintenance is that facial aging and the cumulative damaging effects of sun exposure, smoking and pollution are not instantaneously and visually evident to the user. Likewise, the long term benefits of using skin care products are not immediately appreciated. Since the effects of facial aging and sun damage to skin tend to be perceived slowly, it is difficult for a person to visualize gradual changes to his or her skin, let alone foresee the cumulative long term effect of such gradual changes. Thus, it is believed that a person must be visually confronted with the results of continual skin care neglect in order to persuade the person to use a preventive skin care product.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system that immediately demonstrates a prospective benefit obtained by using a skin care product.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system to demonstrate the personal care product benefit by the use of an electronic interface, either at a point of sale or via a communications network.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method for demonstrating how a person might uniquely and individually benefit from the use of a skin care product due to his or her own individual skin type and/or lifestyle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system that progressively ages an image of a person""s face a first predetermined period of time, regressively ages the face image to a second predetermined period of time, and outputs the aged images of the face.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be achieved by a system and/or method for aging an image to demonstrate a benefit of using a personal care product. The method comprises the steps of: establishing a first predetermined period of time based on at least one aging factor, progressively aging an original image said first predetermined period of time and outputting a first aged image; establishing a second predetermined period of time by modifying said first predetermined period of time based on at least one skin aging decelerating factor associated with one or more skin care products, and progressively aging said original image said second predetermined period of time and outputting a second aged image. The method also preferably includes regressively aging said first aged image to arrive at said second aged image.
The output of the method and system is provided to show an individual the personalized benefits that they might expect to realize by using a skin care product. Further in accordance with the above-stated objectives, a skin care product provider can use the system and method of the present invention to develop products for areas of facial aging identified as being inadequately addressed by existing products.
While the present invention will be discussed primarily in the context of aging skin and skin care products, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention is useful for demonstrating the benefits of other personal care products, such as for hair and nails, and products targeting health and well-being to improve the appearance and health of a person notwithstanding the particular cause of the aging. Therefore, the present invention can be adapted to a number of applications.